Washing machine wringer release



March 1940- E. R. H. B Rl l'ToN ET AL 2,195 0 WASHING MACHINE WRINGER RELEASE Filed Dec. 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Edward RM Eri'ff n Y pfiul/ afiwi/hrd ATTORNEY March 1940. E. R. H. BRITTON ET AL 2,195,0

WASHING MACHINE WRINGER RELEASE Filed Dec. 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 82/ R. TAU/4,24

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 26, 1940 WASHING MACHINE WRINGER. RELEASE Edward R. H. Britten and Paul R. Thiliard, Locust Valley, N. Y.

Application December 17, 1936, Serial No. 116,307

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the releasing 01 the pressure on wringer rolls or the like and is more particularly concerned with a novel manner of efiecting this release of pressure.

5 Wringers, such as used in connection with washing machines, have heretofore been provided with so-callecl quick-releases for quickly relieving the pressure between the rolls, but requiring positive, quick, and intelligent action on the 10 part of an operative. One primary purpose of such quick releases is to render safer the use of pressure rolls by the ordinary person, and to provide a means for quickly releasing the pressure, if the fingers or clothing of the person 15 should be caught between the rolls. Records will show, however, that many serious accidents have happened in using such devices, even though the pressure rolls have been provided with various types of. releases. In a. moment of 20 emergency, a person usually acts by instinct and impulse and not as the result of clear and logical thought. Consequently, if a wringer release requires the exercise of a positive and intelligent act by the operative to release the pressure on 25 the rolls, its'purpose is largely defeated.

One object of this-invention is to provide apparatus for quickly and positively releasing the pressure on pressure rolls by the involuntary act of an operative.

Another object is the provision of apparatus for releasing the pressure on the rolls by the pressure of a persons body against the apparatus.

' A further object is the provision of a wringer 35 release which can be-manually operated and is also capable of being operated by pressing the body against a washing machine associated therewith.

Further objects and advantages will be in part 40 explained and in part apparent from the following description of one embodiment of our invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a combined wash- 5 ing machine and wringer provided with one form of our invention for releasing the pressure on the wringer rolls.

Fig. "2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on about the line 22 of Fig. l.

Fig. '3 is a vertical sectional view of a detail of the apparatus on an enlarged scale, and taken on the line 3-3- of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the line [-4 of Fig. 3. 55 Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of another de- (c1."ss 22 tail shown on an enlarged scale and taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, at a point opposite the wringer support.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

- In the drawings, numeral l indicates generally a washing machine which may be of any conventional or other suitable construction, provided with a side wall II. A wringer I2 is associated with the washing machine l0 and may be supported thereby in a suitable manner such as by the post I3 fixed to the washing machine. The wringer rollers may be driven by a shaft in the post [3, through a gear box H, or in any other suitable manner as is well understood in the art. Preferably, the wringer is supported in such a manner that it may be pivoted about the post l3 as an axis into a number of diflerent positions with respect to the washing machine Ill.

The invention is not concerned with the particular construction of the washing machine l0 and the wringer l2, except as they affect the operation of the wringer release, and the principleof the invention may be applied to washing machines and wringers connected in any other suitable manner, or to wringers alone.

An annular member or ring I is preferably mounted on the washing machine near the upper portion thereof in such a manner that it projects out from the side of the washing machine and may be moved inward toward the washing machine by the application of a force in any direction. The inward movement of this ring I5 is then transmitted to the wringer l2.to quickly release the pressure on the wringer rolls.

In 'the embodiment of the invention illustrated,

.thefring I5 is substantially U-shaped in cross I sectio'n,.=.,with its open side extending inwardly toward the washing machine. As best shown in Figs. 5,76,;and 7, the wall II is preferably provided with acircumferential groove I1 arranged to cooperate with, and at times to receive the annular member l5. This ring I5 is shown sup-' ported in groove I! at five positions around the washing machine, one point of support being directly opposite the wringer supporting post I3. At this point of support, a member I8 is fixed to the wall ll of the washing machine in some manner, as by bolts l9. Extending outward from the wall H, the member I8 is provided with a hollow cylinder portion 20 adapted to receive the plunger 2|, which is fixed to ring l5. Some resilient means such as a coil spring 22, or the like,

the groove I1.

springs 25.

is employed tourge the ring outward, away from The cylinder portion 28 of the member I8 is provided with an opening slightly elongated in a direction circumferentially of the washing machine II) to allow some lateral play for the plunger 2I for the purpose described below.

As many other points of support for the ring 'may be employed as desired. At these other points of support, the ring I is provided with plungers 23 cooperating in telescoping relation with the members 24 and urged apart by'the The cylinder members 24 are provided on their inner portions with smooth surfaces 26, adapted to slide circumferentially in the groove I1. Preferably the coil springs 22 and 25 are of uniform size in order to maintain the ring I5 spaced evenly from the wall II of the washing machine In under normal conditions.

Adjacent the wringer supporting post I3, a bifurcated member 21, having a pair of arms 28 and 29, is attached to the-ring I5, as by bolts 30. The arms 28 and 29 are fixed to wings 3| and 32 by means of the bolts 33. Wings 3| and 32 are integral with a lower collar 34, surrounding the wringer supporting post I3. The collar 34 preferably has an internal diameter somewhat larger than the post I3, and under normal conditions is spaced uniformly therefrom. This lower collar 34 may be slidingly supported on the annular bracket member 35, which is fixed to the post I3 in some suitable manner in order to limit downward movement of collar 34. The upper surface of the collar 34 is provided at regular intervals with small sockets 35, adapted to receive the balls 31. An upper collar 38 is also mounted on the post I3 directly-above the lower collar 34, and is provided withsockets 39 corresponding to sockets 36 to receive the upper portions of the balls 31. Collar 31 fits rather snugly on the post in a vertical direction, being restrained against.

rotation and tipping by the key 40, and fitting the post I3 tightly enough to be restrained against movement laterally or radially thereof.

Rod 42 may be extended up through the gear box I4 in any suitable manner and is adapted to be moved longitudinally therethrough. At its upper end the rod 42 is pivotally attached, as by pin 43, to a crank arm 44, which in turn is pivotally supported on the fixed bracket 45. A rod 46 is pivotally connected to the other end of crank arm 44 and may be arranged in any suitable manner to trip a latch or other release, thus releasing the pressure on the wringer rolls.-

One form of release is illustrated, although it is to be understood that any conventional or ment of the rod 46 thus moves the latch 58 in- I5 is supported at a point opposite the wringer post I3 insuch a way that it cannot be moved 4 circumferentially of the washing machine III,

but can be moved inwardly against the washing machine. This is accomplished by attaching the cylinder member I8 to the wall II. If pressure is applied on the ring I5 at this point however, the bifurcated member 21 is allowed to move in the same direction by the telescoping action of the plunger 2| and cylinder -20. At the other points of support, the supporting members for the ring are adapted .to slide around the wall of the washing machine, and the first point of support mentioned above acts as a pivot. In the event of pressure being applied at any of these other points, the bifurcated member will therefore be moved in some direction radially of the supporting post I3.

Thus pressure against the ring I5 in any direction will move the bifurcated member 21 and also the lower collar 34 in a direction radially of the post I3. As any such movement of the collar 34 occurs, the balls 31 are rolled out of their sockets 36 and/or 39, or tend to roll out of their sockets by reason of the movement of the lower collar 34 relative to the upper collar 38. The rolling of the balls out of their sockets thus forces collars 34 and 38 apart and since collar 34 is prevented from moving downward, serves to raise the collar 38 and the rod 42. Upward movement of the rod 42 is then translated by crank arm 44 into lateral movement of the rod 46 inward to.- wards the wringer to trip the latch 50 and release the pressure on the wringer rolls.

If thewringer is not pivotally mounted on the post I3 it will not be necessary, of course, to arrange the rod 42 for contact with more than one part of the collar 38. It will be apparent that the release of the latch 50 may be adjusted to respond to greater or smaller pressures as desired. The lengths of the individual arms of crank arm 44 may be so proportioned as to obtain the effect desired.

One important advantage of this invention is that'an operator may release the wringer rollsv by body pressure against the washing machine II]. This is distinctly advantageous as compared with a release which can only be operated by hand, especially in the event that both hands become caught in the wringer rolls at the same time. The release action is also designed to be effected by an involuntary movement of a person whose hands are caught in the wringer rolls. In such an emergency the operator should not have to spend valuable time thinking about how to release the pressure, nor should any other positive intelligent act be required. The involuntary reaction of a person whose fingers are caught is to try to pull them out of the rollers. As this is attempted, the body is necessarily pressed against the washing machine and, in accordance with this invention, the release is effected automatically.

It willbe apparent that many modifications of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. 7

release said latch in any position of the wringer pressure on said wringer rolls.

2. In a combined washing machine and wringer, a latch for normally maintaining the rolls 0f said wringer under pressure,,a substantially annular member surrounding said washing machine, and mechanical means actuated by movement of said member in any direction laterally of said washing machine for releasing said latch.

3. In a combined wringer, a latch for normally maintaining the rolls of said wringer under pressure, a substantially annular member surrounding the upper portion of the washing machine and projecting beyond the outer portion thereof, and means for releasing said latch upon movement of said member relative'to said washing machine.

4. In apparatus of the character described a washing machine, a wringer pivotally supported by said machine, a latch for normally maintaining pressure on the rolls of said wringer, and means movably mounted on said washing machine independently of said wringer operable to washing machine and with respect to said machine.

' 5. In apparatus of the character described a washing machine, a wringer pivotally supported by said machine, a latch for normally maintaining pressure on the rolls of said wringer, means for releasing said latch, and a member surrounding said washing machine below the wringer for actuating said means to release said latch when any portion of the member is pressed inward toward said washing machine.

' 6. In a combined washing machine and wringer, a pair of wringer rolls, means normally holding said rolls together under pressure, means for releasing said holding means, and a movable member surrounding at least a portion of said washing machine below said rolls arranged to actuate said releasing means.

7. In a combined washing machine and wringer, a pair of wringer rolls, a washing tub, a

latch normally serving to hold said rolls together under pressure, and a member movably supported by and surrounding-at least a portion of said tub for releasing said latch.

8. Washing apparatus comprising a washing tub, a pair of wringer rolls associated therewith and pivotally mounted with respect to said tub;

means normally holding said rolls together under pressure, means for releasing said holding means, and a member movably supported by and surrounding at least a portion of said tub for actuating said releasing means. 1

i EDWARD R. EBRI'I'IO PAUL R. I 

